The Complete Transformation Of Rumer Willis

As the daughter of Hollywood stars Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, Rumer Willis was always destined for a place in the spotlight. However, unlike plenty of Hollywood kids, Rumer has always been focused on creating a happy life for herself, finding projects that she enjoys, and being as authentic as possible. While she ended up following in her parents' footsteps by becoming an actor, Rumer managed to remain humble and down-to-earth by focusing on what truly matters in life.

To understand just who she is, we took a trip down memory lane, exploring how Rumer's style changed with the natural transitions in her life. These saw her going from industry kid to a mother herself, using her voice for things that matter. Her fashion and beauty evolution has been just as transformative as the other changes in her life.

In 1995, 7-year-old Rumer Willis made her Hollywood debut in the movie "Now and Then," which her mother Demi Moore starred in. After that, Willis became a regular at entertainment industry events, which she frequently attended with her parents. In fact, Willis — who rocked a short pixie haircut at the time — always looked beautifully put-together and chic walking the red carpets alongside Moore. Simple black dresses and rich materials like velvet were a staple for the young star, who often looked like a mini version of her mother in '90s simplicity.

Willis reflected on her childhood as the daughter of two of Hollywood's biggest stars at the time. "It's just fun. It's not like a normal circumstance — when you're going to visit your dad at his job and he's covered in blood and it's like, 'Aw cool, give me some, too,' ya know," the actor told Sarah's Backstage Pass in 2009. "It's just such an awesome experience, especially now that I'm older I got a perfect view of where I want to be and where I aspire to be one day, so it's amazing."

By the time she entered her teens, there was no doubt that Rumer Willis was going to follow in her parents' footsteps career-wise. "I've always been interested in acting," she admitted to Sarah's Backstage Pass in 2009. "I auditioned to play my mom's daughter in 'Now and Then' when I was 6 years old. Ever since then it's always been something that I've loved and wanted to do."

However, even though she was wealthy and famous, Willis admitted that she too had her awkward phase, except that hers was in the spotlight. "It was really crazy especially because I (moved to Hollywood) right at the peak of my awkward phase of trying to figure out who I was," she revealed (via Today). "I still had a bunch of baby fat. I had this massive 'fro that I did not know what to do with." At the time, Willis was exploring different fashion and beauty styles, from laid-back and casual to punk rock, trying to figure out what she liked and what she didn't.

By the second half of the 2000s, Rumer Willis was making a name for herself in Hollywood thanks to projects like "The House Bunny" and "Wild Cherry." And even though she was associated with Hollywood's youth at the time, Willis admitted to Sarah's Backstage Pass that partying isn't really on her to-do list. "My ideal night is to eat dinner at home and sit outside on the back porch and watch the Discovery Channel," she admitted. "That's a great night to me. I've never necessarily been a big party girl. It's just too much effort. I'm much more of a homebody."

By 2006, it was clear that the actor had a better vision of her personal style, and casual 'fits and graphic tees had long been forgotten. Now, Willis was all about glamorous and timeless dresses. And in her 20s, she was certainly ready to go for some more dramatic changes — one of them being dyeing her hair cherry-cola red in 2009.

Anyone who has kept up with Demi Moore and Bruce Willis' children probably knows that the two Hollywood stars have a great relationship with them. "My mom has always made how [my sisters and I] feel about situations the most important thing," Rumer Willis admitted in 2014 (via United Press International). "It's one of the things that I admire most about my parents, is that they set such an incredible example for kind of putting their children first and keeping a family together, no matter what."

In 2014, the actor decided to go for an even bolder hair change by dyeing her hair platinum blond and rocking a lob. Occasionally, she even dared to add some millennial pink to her locks, adding more unexpected edginess to her look. While her style remained chic and classy, she did incorporate lots of textures and fun cutouts into her fashion.

Throughout her career, Rumer has consistently opened up about the struggles that come with fame, and the scrutiny she has faced by the public since she was a kid — which included being judged for her looks. "When you grow up like we do, everyone has an opinion of you," she told People in 2014. "Everyone wants to put you in a particular box. If you get photographed the wrong way or you're at a party, it doesn't matter if you're drinking or not, you know, it's whatever the perception is."

2015 marked an extra-fun year for Rumer Willis as she not only competed in the reality competition "Dancing with the Stars," but she also won it alongside professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy. On "Good Morning America," the star admitted that she is very ambitious. "I have high standards for myself, which I think is great but, you know, I think, sometimes they can block you from reaching a higher potential," she said (via ABC News). "But I think it's always good to strive to be better."

The actor also opened up about getting bullied over her appearance when she was younger, and how it affected her. "I was constantly bullied because of my looks, so I struggled a lot with my body image," she admitted to Glamour that year. "I wanted to have no butt; I wanted to have no boobs. For a long time I just wanted to look tiny and androgynous." The star added that a lot of the bullying people in the spotlight experience today occurs online: "The real pressure comes from the Internet and social media — the mentality that it's okay to attack people from behind a computer screen."

Even though Willis experienced bullying, the older she grew, the less she would let it get to her. And her unwavering confidence was also visible in her style. She was now frequently showing off her physique in revealing pieces — something we'd rarely seen her rock in her early 20s.

In 2017, Rumer Wilis managed to combine her two passions — singing and acting — by joining the cast of the Fox musical drama "Empire" as Tory Ash. "My agents had reached out to me and said, 'Hey, there's this role on 'Empire' to do this Amy Winehouse-type rock star,'" the actor revealed to The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. "I was like, 'I don't need to see anything else. I'm going in.'" While she was mostly known as an actor, Willis has actually always had a passion for music, too. "I've been singing since I was super little, but I've always struggled to find which avenue exactly I wanted to do," she added. "Being able to do music as well, and the way they do music is such a dynamic, classy way, so I was really excited."

During this period, Willis was honing in on her personal style. The actor skillfully combined classy and chic pieces with edgy and modern accessories. And one thing that we particularly loved about the star's hair at the time was that she would occasionally bring back her natural curly locks. In fact, Willis even occasionally brought back the short shag haircut she used to rock in her teens, and it looked just as stunning on her as it did back then.

When Rumer Willis turned 30, she revealed that practicing gratitude in her everyday life and focusing on the positive is a crucial part of her routine. "I turned 30 this year, and I think ... sometimes it's so easy, especially right now in the world to focus on the negative and what's going on in the world, and I think it's just really important to find gratitude every day even in tiny little things — whether it's that you have a job or that you have your house or your family or your legs even — just whatever it is and find the small gratitude ... " she said at the AmfAR Gala in 2018 (via Daily Mail).

The actor continued exuding confidence and elegance in her early 30s. Willis decided to have fun with her hair again by going blond, and with that change she also added some color to her wardrobe. Silky materials and fun patterns found their way into her looks, and it certainly seemed as if the older she got the more she dared to think outside of the box fashion-wise. 

Once Rumer Willis was in her 30s and as confident as ever, it was hard not to draw comparisons between her and her mother Demi Moore. And when asked about her mom, Willis only had great things to say. "I think so many women have watched her, and just as her daughters watch her, as this beacon of strength and this kind of leader," she revealed while guest-hosting on "The Talk" in 2019 (via People). "What I really respect about her is that she is never the victim in her stories. She takes accountability. She takes responsibility ... "

Willis undoubtedly learned a thing or two about fashion from her mom, and in 2019, she entered her most daring fashion era to date. The star experimented with different silhouettes, materials, and statement pieces, and we never knew what her next hair change would be. It became clear as day that Willis now knew who she was and what she wanted, and all of that showed in the way she carried and dressed herself with the confidence of a Hollywood icon.

A big reason why Rumer Willis is so much more than just a Hollywood star is her transparency. The actor has never shied away from talking about serious things, such as opening up about quitting smoking and how it affected her. Willis explained that, for her, smoking was a tool she used when she would feel anxiety. "There's such an emotional component to it," she told She Knows in 2020. "Those moments where you're at a dinner party and you're feeling uncomfortable so you get up from the table and your excuse is, 'I'm going to go have a cigarette outside'... There's all of these kind of pathways in our brain that become so attached to, 'This is helping me. This is calming me down.'"

That year, as the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Willis continued channeling her mom by wearing long dark tresses most often parted in the middle. While we also saw her rocking platinum blond when she starred in "Chicago: The Musical," the year was mostly spent with raven-colored locks, which were occasionally left to their natural curl or even side parted with glossy loose waves. Over the summer, Willis also posted a series of photos to Instagram showing her looking breezy and makeup-free in bathing suits and seasonal airy dresses. 

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Rumer Willis switched from her dark locks in 2021, which had been a staple over the past year, to a warm dark ginger, also rocking curly bangs and an overall relaxed style. We saw her in comfy classics, like oversized tees, plain slip dresses, and simple ensembles made up of cord pants and knitted vests. The star also shared insights into her skincare routine, as she is known for her glowy and youthful skin. "Keeping it hydrated both inside and out. Drinking enough water has been a game changer for my skin — and if I am out and about, I keep Deep Hydration Aloe Gel Mist from Aloisia in my purse," she told New Beauty. "I think I have a greater appreciation for my skin and my body and I have a 'less is more' approach ... " The star added that a big reason why she prefers a 'no-makeup' makeup look is her mother Demi Moore teaching her the importance of taking care of her skin.

That year, Willis revealed that even though she overcame a lot of the insecurities from her youth, some of them still creep in. "Even though I have days where I still don't feel good or I feel insecure, I think if you're not transparent about it, it creates such a disconnection," the actor told Yahoo! Life. By speaking candidly about those times she isn't feeling her best, Willis hopes to help the younger generation who is affected by what they see on social media — which is often edited or manipulated to create a false perception.

In her personal life, 2022 marked an important year as Rumer Willis and her partner Derek Richard Thomas became parents. Speaking about her pregnancy with People, she opened up about how it changed her: "I have so much reverence and respect for women now. I feel I've had an easier time physically than most of my friends," Rumer said. The star also added that her partner has been incredible during her pregnancy journey. "He's been so lovely, and he's just so excited to be a dad, and we're both just so delighted to meet whoever this little person is. I could not have asked for a better partner, and he's going to be such a great dad." 

Throughout her pregnancy, Rumer opted for a more casual and comfortable style, however, she still kept her look chic. And one thing that all of us were thrilled about was the upkeep of her natural curls, which she now rocked much more frequently. She maintained the red-toned pumpkin-spice locks, subtly getting lighter as the year went on. Eventually, she ended up with strawberry blond before shifting back to her go-to true blond at the start of 2023.

However, while she was welcoming her daughter into the world, Rumer also had to deal with the news of her father Bruce Willis' aphasia diagnosis. While the family remained mostly private about it, the glimpses that they did share about Bruce clearly show that the whole family is there for the Hollywood icon.

As a newfound mother, Rumer Willis is focused on doing the best she can while not repeating any of her parents' mistakes. "We're in such a different time, there's just so much more information," she said to E! News. "My mom will be like, 'You should do this with her,' and I'll say, 'Actually, based on what I've been reading, you don't do that anymore.'" The star admitted that while she adores her mother, she wants to explore motherhood in her own ways. "When you're in that transition from maiden to motherhood, and you have a really tight relationship with your mom, there's an interesting separation that occurs as you are discovering your own path as a mother," the star added. Her new-mom style remains focused on comfort and letting her natural beauty shine, since Rumer often posts makeup-free pics on Instagram. Aside from getting dolled up in a satin-pink Disney Princess-esque gown for the Oscars, she has stuck to simple girly dresses, beachy waves, and bright colors. She's definitely in her divine feminine era! 

While Bruce Willis has retreated from the spotlight due to his health, Rumer shared with E! News that she's hopeful his aphasia diagnosis helps shed light on the disorder and helps other families, too. "My dad is so beloved," she said, "and I feel like that's been so evident. If there's any way that, in sharing our experience — strengths, hope, whatever comes forward as a family — if that can bring any sort of comfort to someone else, then to me that's everything."

Now in the second half of her 30s, Rumer has plenty more to offer to the world. She has managed to remain humble and real through the many ups and downs of her life so far, which is surely credited to her parents. However, she has marked a path for herself and we can't wait to see how her transformation continues.